D̏̈i̶̟̹̠̠̟̥͐̽̑̃s̤͖̤̜̞ͯ̓t͓̦͎̞̯̘̪͐͊̏̿͐r̟̪͙̯̱ͤ͐̓̀a̡̟̙̤̳̱̗͇c͓̘͗͌ṭ̭̝̖͎̫ͣe̳͕̤̕d̶͕͉̰̩̞̰̄

 

“Distracted: Unable to concentrate because one’s mind is preoccupied.”[1]

A common action with a misbehaving computer is to simply turn it off and then back on again.  Remember this because it can save you a whole lot of time in troubleshooting in the future – just a simple reboot can fix so much.  90% [2] of the time, the problem will simply resolve itself.  The more you know…

Now, you may be wondering what that little helpful bit of information has to do with theology, or belief, or Christianity, or, perhaps, even the concept of distraction, so let’s explore that a little bit. The computer has memory.  Over time that memory gets gunked up.  Little bits and pieces of programs, documents, pictures, music, movies, and other dreck get stuck in part of the computer’s brain and then slowly begin to make a mess of things.  Rebooting the machine clears all that gunk out, and you get a fresher, more ready computer.

We are similar in that regard.  Little bits of life stick to us, slowly building up until suddenly you look around, and you can’t find God.  You know He’s there, of course, but He’s hidden from your view.  Perhaps He’s underneath Little Johnny’s soccer practice, or maybe He’s under that pile of Social Media.  He could be buried under that season of Game of Thrones or House of Cards, or the entire library of books that you’ve just been putting off.  Perhaps it’s  that project at work that has precedence.

But one thing’s for sure, you’ve left no time in your life for Him.  All the other things have built up – your memory’s full, your engine’s gunked up, and nothing’s running smoothly.

You need to reboot.  Restart.  Step back.

Maybe that means fasting from something: media, social events, food, reading; fasting doesn’t just have to be about eating.   Maybe it means fasting from everything, all the distractions at once: a true vacation far away from home with nothing there with you, or a camping trip where it’s just you and nature.

Maybe it means giving up something permanently, or at least long term.  Blocking a few websites that have a hold over you, taking a particular ongoing social engagement off the calendar, cancelling your cable subscription or having a friend lock your iPad down to just email and a few select apps (feel free to contact us if you’d like help getting that configured!).  It won’t always be easy, and it’s often painful – we grow very attached to the things that graft themselves onto us.

What parts of your life have you allowed to take over?  How can you scrape away the distractions?

And I will call upon Your name
And keep my eyes above the waves
When oceans rise
My soul will rest in Your embrace
For I am Yours and You are mine
–Oceans (Where Feet May Fail), Hillsong United